


An unusual kind of couple

by xenolinguist



Category: Eurovision Song Contest RPF, Festival di Sanremo RPF
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Dates, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Miscommunication, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-04
Packaged: 2020-01-25 15:14:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18577072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xenolinguist/pseuds/xenolinguist
Summary: reddit.com/r/relationshipsMy best friend (44M) asked me (38M) out. I said yes. I didn't know it was a date.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! here's a little story about Ermal being the oblivious fool that we love so much! Please leave a comment!  
> Follow me on tumblr: http://bunny-banana.tumblr.com
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by this post: https://birdthany.tumblr.com/post/177889536646/birdthany-its-really-easy-to-think-everyone-in

Rome in spring was, in Ermal’s humble opinion, the most beautiful the city could be. Gone was the cold winter, thick jackets and clouds and here came the flowers blossoming and the warm sun rays tickling your skin. 

And was there any better way to sunbathe then laying in the grass at the right bank of the Tiber, tired yet satisfied from a criminally delicious lunch? Ermal certainly couldn’t think of any. Not when the birds chirped around him, the waves of the Tiber softly hitting the shore and not one single thing to worry about. Even with closed eyes, he sensed the man lying next to him turn towards him but Fabrizio did not spoke immediately. No, he just stayed silent for a bit, Ermal wasn’t quite sure what he was observing but before Ermal could ask, Fabrizio broke the silence. 

“Enjoying yourself?” 

The younger man snorted. What a silly question. 

“After that great pesto, I sure am enjoying myself. Seriously, Fabri, where you always find those tiny places with that divine food is a mystery to me but I’m glad you do find them. And most of all, bring me along” 

He felt the man next to him chuckle, a few tones higher than his normal deep voice.  
“I’ve been enjoying myself too. In fact..” He heard Fabrizio suddenly take a deep breath and he could have sworn Fabrizio swallowed as well too before continuing “In fact, I’ve been enjoying all our meet-ups. A lot. More than with other people. And- and y’know, Ermal, you’ve been very dear to me from the beginning and- Fuck, I have no idea what I’m doing here, it’s been quite some time since I’ve done that but-”

“Fabri, get to the point!” Ermal laughed. 

“Okay, good, so tomorrow evening- there’s this restaurant and- and- would you like to go out with me?”

And then the only sound between them was the chirping of the birds and the noise of the kids passing by. Ermal let the words run through his mind once more, huffed a laugh before smirking. 

“Sure.”

“Wh- Really?” Fabrizio whispered almost too quiet to be heard so Ermal finally opened his eyes and turned to him but was met by an incredulous expression. 

“Yeah, really! Why is that so surprising?!” 

“I- You-” Either Fabrizio was badly trying to suppress a grin or he had some serious muscle issues, in any case Ermal was concerned. “Shit, I don’t know. You didn’t exactly give off the vibe that you’d say yes, so I never considered asking, but-” He rolled onto his back and stared at the blue sky above. “I was edging for it, y’know. I was slowly going insane, I just had to have it said out loud.” 

“You’re being more ridiculous than usual, Fabri. Honestly, I cannot believe you were wrecking your head about a non-issue.” He sat up and observed the still laying man who looked at him in something Ermal almost didn’t dare to call awe.  
“So, tomorrow evening then?” 

 

Details and addresses were exchanged, a time set when Fabrizio would pick him up and soon after they parted ways but not without Fabrizio once more mentioning how much he’s looking forward to tomorrow. 

And as Ermal made his way back to his hotel, he huffed a laugh. It sure felt strange to see his friend be so nervous, especially when it was about nothing more than going to a new restaurant together. And the fact that he assumed Ermal would not come along?  
_’You didn’t exactly give off the vibe that you’d say yes’_

“What the fuck does that even mean? I don’t give off the vibe?!”  
A small pebble on the street found itself to be the victim of Ermal’s irritation.  
“When haven't I agreed to go to a new place with him?!”

But maybe his annoyance was unjustified. Could the restaurant really be that fancy that Fabrizio felt too anxious to go alone and wished for his friend’s company? 

“Well, food better be worth it….”  


* * *

  
In hindsight, Ermal realised later, the evening had been doomed to be unusual from the very beginning.  
Exhibit A: A certain Roman showing up at his doorstep looking like he'd belong to the Milan Fashion Week.  
A tight grey shirt whose top three buttons almost begged to be opened (yet remained miraculously, in Fabris case, closed!) clung nicely to the body underneath it. A very fine silver chain hung around his neck that perfectly fit with the rings and the watch on his hand.  
Instead of ripped denim, now tight & shiny dark jeans were worn and to round this look up, an impeccably tailored black, suit jacket was thrown over him. 

He…. looked stunning. Yes, okay, Fabrizio _always_ looked beautiful, we know that, but one could only rarely see him this elegant. If it wasn't Sanremo at least, or events of similar importance. Ermal normally dressed nice, but in this instance he almost felt underdressed, and that in comparison to _Fabrizio Moro_.  
The car drive was relatively quiet except of the radio that played news and Ermal would have found been interested in hearing about those new tax cuts the government was planning to implement if his attention wasn’t drawn to the fact that they were entering a rather fancy neighbourhood. And it didn’t stop there, soon they were pulling up to an even fancier restaurant.  
  
_’So that must be the infamous place, huh?’_  
Why Fabrizio had insisted on going here was still a mystery to Ermal, after all they'd usually get food in simpler places. But this restaurant was so high class and so unlike anything Fabrizio seemed to like.  
Not that Ermal disliked it, oh no, in fact he was mesmerised by the soft piano sounds, the luscious furniture, the dimmed light and the wonderful roses everywhere.  
If Ermal didn’t know better, he’d almost call it …. romantic?  
Funnily enough, the younger man’s awe was in stark contrast to Fabrizio’s own attitude. The Roman seemed quite nervous, terribly shaky and his cheeks even sported a little flush. 

“Well, well, Fab. Gotta say, this place is on a whole different level“ The curly haired man commented as he flipped through the menu.  
“You like it?”  
“How could I not?”  
They put the menus down as a waiter took up their orders and it might be only Ermal’s imagination but it seemed like Fabrizio relaxed a bit.  
Not only that but he seemed to be incredibly focused on Ermal as well, not that he usually dismissed him but today Fabrizio was a bit more attentive, his eyes more consciously searching for Ermal’s. He laughed at every single one of his jokes, smiled brighter at Ermal than usual. It felt.. nice. The whole evening was quite nice, Ermal had to admit, even with the unusual ambient. 

The dinner had been phenomenal, and when Ermal saw their mousse au chocolat approach, he knew it would be just as good.  
And indeed, the moan he couldn't suppress after his first bite was proof enough. 

“This is outstanding, honestly.”  
“It really is good.”  
“Only good? It's amazing. I don't even have much of a sweet tooth, but this mousse is the sweetest thing and I love it”

Fabrizio tilted his head and was it the candle light or something else, but a intriguing shine filled his eyes.  
“I'd know something sweeter than this.” 

In the next moment, everything turned upside down when Fabrizio suddenly took his hand and intertwined their fingers, his thumb gently brushing over the back of the younger man’s hand. Ermal's eyes went back and forth from their locked hands to Fabrizio’s face. What......is happening?  
Ermal cleared his throat.  
"Fabrizio...?"  
But the second the word left his mouth, Fabrizio froze, the small smile of his vanished before he withdrew his hand.  
"Too much? Shit, I just thought-"  
"Fabri, is something going on?" Ermal tried to clarify but that apparently only confused his counterpart more.  
"What do you mean?"  
"Well, I don't know. You suddenly grasped my hand. That's not something you usually do."  
Fabrizio avoided his eyes now and scratched the back of his neck.  
"I just thought, y’know, I don't know, I just - I really wanted to hold your hand. I mean, I have wanted to hold it many times before but- but given the circumstances I thought it was appropriate. But if you're not fond of that kind of public affection or if it's too much for the first date, I understand."

Ermal’s eyes widened and his hand clenched the napkin laying on the table. The voice that finally escaped his mouth was rather high pitched and shaky.  
"D- _Date_ ?!? What?!"  
Fabrizio blinked. Ermal blinked. They both blinked at each in utter silence with only the piano softly playing in the background until it dawned on Fabrizio who slapped a hand over his eyes in shame.  
"Oh my fucking God. Oh Jesus Christ, no, no, no, fuck, no"  
Not knowing what to do, Ermal simply continued staring at the now red Fabrizio hiding behind his hands.  
This all didn't make any sense. At all. Some part of Ermal could understand what has just happened but another larger part just kept repeating that this couldn't be real. Paralyzed by shock, he just kept blinking at the man across from him as if an answer to this mess would magically appear. But the silence was becoming so suffocating that Ermal had to break it, he had finally muttered anything at all.  
"Fabrizio...."  
"BILL PLEASE"  
The older man however had other plans as he quickly got the attention of the waiter passing by. The younger man couldn’t even protest, because Fabrizio was already hastily paying for both of them, too eager to flee as fast as possible.  
  
The Roman got up then without even looking at his companion and Ermal kind of felt obligated to do the same and while one avoided the eyes of the other they made their way to the car together where Ermal had a terrible realisation.  
In all this time he has known the other man, he could not remember ever feeling this awkward around Fabrizio as when they drove in complete uncomfortable silence. His eyes way too focused on the road ahead and his lips pressed into a thin line. This was not the man he always could laugh and have fun with. This certainly wasn’t the man from half an hour ago.  
They slowly approached Ermal’s hotel and the younger man felt like this was his chance to fix whatever this mess was. He cleared his throat and turned to his friend.  
"Fabri..that earlier...I didn't know, I- I didn't realise.."  
"Yes I noticed that you didn't know." Fabrizio gripped the steering wheel tightly as he spoke with clipped tone that, Ermal assumed, disguised deeper emotions underneath it.  
"Just... remember this evening as the nice dinner we had together, nothing more, okay? Just forget anything else. Please." The car stopped and while he knew this was his cue to get out it didn't feel right to leave it at that note.  
"But-"  
_"Ermal, please."_  
  
The embarrassment in his voice was overwhelming and the urgency definite. So Ermal did what he had to do: Slowly get out of the car, saying goodnight to his friend who only mumbled something in reply, still not meeting his eyes before he started the engine again leaving Ermal helplessly watching him drive off into the dark night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ermal muses about the evening, gets some advice and makes some new discoveries.

Finding sleep that night was a hilariously unrealistic if not straight up impossible concept. So instead of closing his eyes and relaxing at long last, Ermal found himself lying wide awake on his hotel bed staring at the ceiling with his mind racing.  
Fabrizio had intended this evening....as a date? A Date. A Romantic Date. Which ....would mean Fabrizio had ...romantic feelings...for him?! But no, that sounded ridiculous, ludicrous even!  
And yet… Did he not bring Ermal to an incredibly romantic place? Did he not dress up super elegantly? Did he not reach for Ermal's hand?  
He glanced at the hand in question, the warmth of the other man's hand still tangible, a phantom touch of Fabrizio still dancing on it.  
He felt a headache coming on just from musing over it. He glanced at the clock. 00:14?  
Hmm.  
After a deep sight, Ermal took out his phone and dialed a number that he knew was like a saving grace for matters like these.  
  
"I was just about to go to bed, after a whole day of work if I might add! So you better have a shot wound or something of similar severity to call me now." Sabina grumpily answered the call after the fourth ring.  
"Would rather have a shot wound right now, if I'm honest. At least then I would know what to do."  
"What the hell? Ermal, what's going on?!" He heard some noise in the background of duvets being lifted and her probably getting up.  
  
Ermal rolled on his stomach groaning, knowing he had to go through the mortifying process of reliving that awkward evening again. Nevertheless, he carried on and retold the events to her from the very beginning. God, it sounded even worse when he had to tell it someone else. But once done, he patiently waited for her wise and enlightening advice.  
  
"Well, that's pretty embarrassing."  
"God, I didn't want to embarrass him!"  
"No, you idiot. You embarrassed _yourself._ Studied God knows how many languages and has been hailed a _poet_ and what not and yet needs Fabrizio to spell it out in neon lights for him. Because my brother dear apparently doesn't understand the fine nuances of a simple question."  
  
So it might have been a mistake to call his sister after all.  
  
"Shut up, okay?! It was just, he just asked if I wanted to go out with him. For dinner. A date was never mentioned. Not explicitly at least! How should I have known?! He doesn't- he didn't even seem to y’know, be into men, let alone into _me_ or whatever."  
"Are you really that dense, Erm? Are you?” She stopped for a second to, what Ermal assumed, take a drag off her cigarette. "Have you ever seen the two of you around each other? How does he strike you?”  
Scenes of the past year flash in front of his inner eye. Warm memories of long evenings spent jamming together in Fabrizio’s living room, of those days sightseeing in Lisbon which were so turbulent but so adventurous. But what Ermal started to realise now, there were also those moments in public where they simply couldn’t stop themselves from slipping in an insider joke even when they knew nobody else understood it. And with those moments came also other images to his mind: Fabrizio’s hand always ruffling his curls, Fabrizio’s hugs that were always a bit tighter than from other people, those grins he tried to suppress by biting his lips but never quite succeeded.  
And surprisingly, Ermal had a hard time subduing his own smile at the thought now too.  
  
“He, uhm, he stroke me as- as in high spirits, I suppose.”  
“High spirits...” Sabina deadpanned and Ermal hated that he heard the exasperation in her voice. “Moro transforms into a grinning, lovestruck puppy around you! Honestly, he looks like he’s ready to move mountains at your command. But nooo, of course him asking you out comes as a 'surprise'."  
Ermal was about to comment on how unnecessary her sarcasm was but then it struck him.  
"SO YOU KNEW AND DIDN’T TELL ME ?!?!"  
"Fratellone, everybody knew and why would anyone tell you when it was so obvious anyway."  
Fantastic, instead of easing his headaches, this convo just intensified them. Wonderful. He massaged his temples before rolling on his back again.  
  
"So, Fabrizio....Fabrizio likes me. Apparently." It felt interesting to say it out loud. He definitely had never even contemplated that scenario. Not with the man being so naturally affectionate toward everyone. Not when he had never even alluded to the fact that he might be open to more than just women.  
And yet, Ermal got a tingly feeling at the thought. So ..it was _him_ who made Fabrizio blush earlier? Who made him nervous? And smiley? Whose hand he wanted to hold so much? For whom he dressed up so nicely? Christ, he actually really _wanted_ Ermal to like his outfit, didn't he?  
Looking back, perhaps a few other things made sense too now. How he'd let Ermal tease him relentlessly without ever aiming for any kind of revenge, how he'd change his clothes whenever Ermal suggested it, how he never got tired of praising the younger man even when he really didn't have to.  
A small smirk found its way on Ermal's face. Who would have thought that he'd have Fabrizio Moro of all people wrapped around his finger.  
  
"-mal? Hey, don't just space out when I'm talking to you!"  
"Huh, sorry. Uhm... So what do I do now?"  
"What do you do now?? You got me out of bed for this kinda questions?! Well, go up to him, apologize, and then ask for a new date. Simple as that."  
Maybe there has been an unreported earthquake in Rome today? Maybe that’s why Ermal suddenly found himself on the floor and certainly not because of shock.  
"Wait, what?! I should ask him out?!"  
"Yeah? Isn't that something you want?"  
  
Is that something he- But that would imply that he’d want to pursue Fabrizio, his very male, masculine, manly friend Fabrizio who was definitely not by any chance a woman. To have a relationship with guy that was …..romantic... and oh sweet Mother of God, _sexual?!_  
"I- I- I don't know."  
"You don't know?? Don't you like him??"  
  
"I- I never said that, alright! The media just always makes up all these baseless rumours!"  
  
"Not so baseless on Fabrizio's part, it seems."  
  
Touché.  
  
As they weren’t getting anything productive done, he heard Sabina sighing on the other end.  
"Ok listen, I guess he's so embarrassed right now he doesn't even want to see you anyway. So give it a few days, once everything has calmed down, go apologize to him. Simple as that."

Simple indeed. Smooth and simple Ermal could do. No wrecking his head about any hypothetical relationships with any hypothetical Fabrizios. As if to emphasize his point or more like convince himself, he nodded before he remembered that Sabina couldn’t actually see him.  
"Yeah..that's..that's a good plan.That will work.”  
“It sure will, you’ll see.”  
“Thank you, Sabi, for..all of that. And good night.”  
"Welcome! Now let me please sleep and catch a few hours yourself!”  
  
Ermal huffed a laugh and hung up. She was right. Give it a few days and everything would be back to normal. Just like they’ve always been. Yup. Indeed. With that tiny bit of mental relief, Ermal finally managed to find some sleep.  


* * *

  
In the following days Ermal made a quite fascinating discovery: he might not text Fabri 24/7, but now he had to consciously refrain from shoot him a message here and there during the day, it felt... very weird.  
  
The troubles started right the next day on the train back to Milan when he stumbled upon a funny photo on twitter about AS Roma he knew Libero would appreciate it and he had already saved it, ready to open WhatsApp when Sabina’s voice echoed in his mind.  
_’He's so embarrassed right now he doesn't even want to see you’_  
Right. He is supposed to...keep his distance.  
Definitely not sulking, Ermal closed WhatsApp again and instead spent the the next few hours looking out of the window until they approached Milan. He definitely didn’t feel the urge once or twice rising to send Fabrizio a picture of the pretty landscape. Nope, he was just gonna enjoy the landscape by himself.  
  
Keeping his own distance was one thing, but to have absolute radio silence from Fabrizio’s side was a whole other thing to get used to. No little audio teasers of his new songs, no pictures of something cute the kids did, no silly selfie of him smiling goofily at the camera with the peace sign he always did. He missed Fabri’s smile. The last time he saw him, Fabrizio was anything but smiling.  
Ermal realised that his life felt so ...silent suddenly. Especially in those tiny, insignificant moments, when he'd stroll through the mall and spot something akin to a green fisherman's jacket in the window. How he'd like to send a photo to a certain someone teasing him, knowing full well he'd get a middle finger emoji in reply. How whenever he heard someone pass by speaking a Roman dialect, in a voice too high, too foreign yet it would remind him of only one out of three million Romans. How hollow he felt inside when Fabrizio’s songs came up on the radio, not only knowing that was all he was getting from Fabri these days but also remembering how flat and lifeless that strong voice sounded in the car on that fateful night.  
  
  
Give it a few days, Sabina had suggested. Give it a few days and all would be back to normal. Patience was not one of Ermal’s strong points, no, not really. Yet some things were worth standing still for. Some people were worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, here you got Ermal dealing with the direct aftermath... 
> 
> Follow me on tumblr: http://bunny-banana.tumblr.com
> 
>  
> 
> pls leave a comment xoxo


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ermal finally takes the time to message Fabrizio!

When today’s temperatures peaked at wonderful 27°C and the sun came out in all her glory, Ermal was sure God was sending him a sign. That, or global warming was getting completely out of hand now.  
But Ermal preferred to believe in his own interpretation that today was gonna be a good day. It had to be. After all, it had been nine days and 15 hours (not that he counted, of course) since the Incident with Fabrizio occured and Ermal deemed it high time to take that important first step now. Fabrizio must have certainly been over that silly incident by now, right? That little bit of embarrassment and miscommunication would not shake up a friendship like theirs, surely not. Furthermore, Ermal himself was so eager to go back to their normal routine, if he's honest. He made a silent promise to himself to keep quiet for the first few days in order to give Fabrizio the space to recover but God, it had been such a drag, Ermal was slowly going insane at this point.  
  
  
Energised as he was, he brewed himself a cup of coffee and sat outside on the balcony before taking out his phone. Scrolling down the list of names, he realised they haven't texted in ages so he couldn't screw up the first message. It has to be casual in any case, Ermal mused, something Fabrizio would probably like and nothing too heavy to ruin the mood. What could he chat him up about that was vaguely interesting enough to text someone? That week nothing special has happened, except of the invitation he had received for- oh, that's it!  
  
  
**[Ermal]:** _Hey Bizio! This weekend I'm perfoming at this grape festival in Lazio_ 🍇 _Care to hang out with me?_  
  
There. Sent.  
First contact: established.  
Nothing too long, nothing too serious. Not a word being breathed about that dinner. Just a light and fun message like the ones they used to shoot one another before. Even with a goddamn emoji, so he truly couldn't have composed a more perfect message.  
Now all he had to do was wait.  
  
And wait.  
  
And wait.  
  
By now the cup on the balcony table has become empty and God's divine sign of optimism has slowly set on the horizon as well and yet the phone in Ermal's hands remained silent. Hmm.  
Too bad, his stomach wasn’t as silent and demanded some attention now too so Ermal had to leave to cook some dinner.  
So the evening passed with Ermal cleaning up the kitchen after dinner, relaxing on his coach, checking twitter's latest mayhem before he spiralled into his habit of watching one absurd YouTube video after another.  
The video he currently was immersed in showed a slow-mo fight between a mongoose and a cobra that in all its intensity outdid any action movie in a heartbeat. Just when the cobra moved to strike her enemy and Ermal held his breath, the phone in his hand started to vibrate notifying him of a message so quickly he switched to WhatsApp with great anticipation.  
  
  
**[Bizio]:** _sorry i cant this weekend_  
  
  
Ermal blinked. Oh. Oh okay. Well, maybe it was his turn with the children or just had some other obligations. Can happen. Not that he had to tell Ermal in detail what the reason of his declination was. Not that Ermal was disappointed.  
  
**[Ermal]:** _Oh, okay. Maybe another time?_  
  
But for a reply, Ermal would wait in vain as simply none came.  
  


* * *

  
  
The life of a singer was busy. Thankfully so, Ermal would argue these days, as the stress of the soundcheck and rehearsals in Lazio kept him distracted enough to not think about the fact that Fabrizio was literally half an hour away and yet didn’t come to see him. No, Fabrizio had all the right in the world to have other appointments on that day, Ermal kept that in mind. Or was trying to. But fine, if Fabrizio couldn’t spare some time when Ermal was at his place, the same doesn’t hold true vise versa.  
  
The life of a singer was, as we have established, busy. What a funny coincidence that Fabrizio was also a singer who was announced as a star guest at a Milanese Music Festival the following week. As ambitious as he was, Ermal wasted no time to seize that chance.  
  
**[Ermal]:** _Fabri!! Heard you're coming up North!_ 😁 _I have this excellent bottle of wine that a fan gave me the other day (don't ask) so how about we open it at my place? I know you love a good wine_ 😉🍷  
  
He couldn’t even slide the phone back into his pocket before it started buzzing. Surprisingly, the reply came almost instantly this time.  
  
**[Bizio]:** _sorry no the schedule is pretty tight for me at the moment i dont think ill have much time in milan_  
  
Ermal stared at the message on the screen as if it was written in ancient Greek. It might as well could have been, it would have made the exact same amount of sense, to be honest. Since when did Fabrizio decline invitations of him? No, since when did Fabrizio decline invitations of him so apathetically? They'd always try to hang out when the older man was in Milan. Especially when they haven’t seen each other in so long like they did now.  
  
Okay, so Fabri was ...busy. Apparently. Good. Okay. Alright. Ermal may have started looking forward to see him again and being rejected like this did sting a ...lot, but he could understand.  
  


* * *

  
  
In order to reach a goal, having consistency and drive was key. Ermal wouldn’t be where he is today if he didn’t know that. And what works for his professional life could also be applied to his personal one, right?  
So in the following days he put a conscious effort to text Fabrizio up more regularly again starting right with a memory of better days.  
  
**[Ermal]:** _So I’m flipping through the channels at home and there comes a baking show and I wouldn’t normally stop to watch but you know what they’re baking? Those creamy pastry things we had in Lisbon!_  
  
**[Bizio]:** _oh cool_  
  
Christ, mind taking it down a notch on that overwhelming enthusiasm, Fabrizio?  
  
Ermal shook his head because he had been sure that would coax a better reaction out of his friend. After all, he remembers how the day in Portugal went down. They’d wandered the streets of Lisbon when they spotted a small bakery that offered those ‘Pasteis de Nata’ in the window, Fabrizio immediately being intrigued by them. That’s how they ended up buying a dozen of those bad boys and making themselves comfortable in a small park near by. And how lovely that sounds, had they not gotten nauseous from devouring 15 cream tarts in 20 minutes and having to postpone their Eurovision rehearsal because of that.  
See, that event was one of their favourite anecdotes from Lisbon, one of their most beloved inside jokes despite or maybe because of the hilarity and stupidity of the situation. Ermal thought there’s no way that this wouldn’t at least coax a laughing emoji out of Fabrizio and being proven wrong just felt… harsh.  
  
However, this is how things continued as to all of Ermal’s messages, he’d receive rather uncharacteristically short replies. When he sent him photos he'd often not reply at all and even when he called Fabri didn't pick. And Ermal just felt progressively worse over time. What was going on?! Was Fabrizio angry at him? Did he not even want to be friends anymore? Ermal shuddered at what that implied: This is how life would be from now on. Without Fabrizio in it. At all. Ermal didn't like it.  
So all he had was now looking at Fabrizio’s instagram, scrolling down his profile to find those picture where he’d smile at the camera. Smiles, Ermal used to receive.Those chocolate eyes which held both such tranquility and warmth that it was quite difficult to tear your own eyes from them.  
In order to find some escape from that overwhelming melancholy suffocating him, he grabbed the first thing in reach which happened to be the remote control. What better way to pretend that your soul crushing sadness didn’t exist than watching some meaningless light television! However, he quickly realised he got his hopes up too soon. How could he forget that the universe simply had a personal vendetta against him because how else could you explain that the first thing he saw was a live interview with one Fabrizio Moro at a radio station. Fabrizio who smiled sweetly at the host, who hugged her tightly, who joked with her and oh, whose eyes didn’t stick to her face but wandered more and more south. God, can you believe this man?! There was absolutely no need for him to be glued at her side like this, what the hell is he doing? The last straw was when he made a joke (God knows what, Ermal had more alerting things to pay attention to) and the lady was about to playfully slap his chest but Fabrizio grabbed her hand and winked at her.  
Obviously, Ermal had no other option than to call the emergency number right this instant.  
  
“Why is he all smiley and lovey-dovey with _her_ while he treats me as if I’m a war criminal?!” Ermal shouted the second the other line got picked up.  
“Uhm, hello? Maybe a ‘Good morning’ first of all? A simple ‘how are you doing, Sabina?’ would have been appreciated too.”  
But unfortunately, her brother did not have neither the patience nor the nerves to formalities and just groaned into the phone.  
“Okay, okay, rewind. Who is so lovey-dovey with whom? What are you talking about?”  
“Fabrizio! Fabrizio and- and some random radio host! Acting as if they’re on their second honeymoon live on air! God, what the fuck?!”  
“Uhm…”  
“Can you believe he hadn’t answered one phone call of mine! Not one! From me!”  
“You still haven’t talked??”  
“But oh, look at how chatty he suddenly is when Miss Double D starts parading in front of him. God, how can he be so shameless as if the entire nation isn’t watching him talk more to her tits than her face, ugh!”  
“Ermal, but-”  
“And isn’t he supposed to be into me?! Didn’t he go on a date with _me_ and not her?! You just can’t eye-fuck some random women when you’re into someone else already, Fabrizio!”  
“ERMAL!”  
At long last, his rant came to a stop, allowing Sabina to finally say one whole sentence without interruption.  
“Let’s take a breath, okay? Calm down and let’s go over it one more time. If Fabrizio is flirting with someone that means he’s getting over that crush on you. So...isn’t that what you wanted?”  
  
_Isn’t that what you wanted?_  
  
A haunting déjà-vu from that fateful day hit Ermal in that moment. Is it not what he wanted? But how could one equalise the situation back then with the one at hand? With so much happening, he felt overwhelmed. So much emotional turmoil, sleepless nights, unanswered questions and most of all loneliness marked those passed weeks that Ermal had blink tears away and to take a deep breath before he allowed his voice to speak again.  
“I just want my Bizio back, that’s what I want! I hate it and I’m so sick of it all! He’s cold and distant and doesn’t talk to me and doesn’t wanna see me and ugh!”  
Where were those warm touches gone? Where were those chapped lips that would so carefree peck his cheeks? And those tattooed hands that looked so rough but would always so affectionately ruffle his hair. Or hold his hand.  
That day at restaurant flashed in front of his eyes. The bewilderment when Fabrizio had first reached out. The touch, the gesture so foreign that Ermal hadn’t known how to conceptualise it. Yet regret washed over him now. How he’d want to reach for Fabrizio . And would it have been really that bad if Ermal had just held on to his hand? Let Fabrizio gently stroke him with his thumb, maybe even squeeze back while Ermal’s finger draws circles over letters that covered the older man’s knuckles.  
It would have been nice and Ermal would have liked it. But the most crucial realisation wasn’t that Ermal would have enjoyed it back then, no, it was that he wanted it now too.  
  
"Sabi?" he muttered just above a whisper.  
"Yes?"  
"Am I- Do I like Fabrizio?"  
  
If there ever was the perfect invitation to ridicule Ermal, then this was it. And Sabina being the fountain of sarcasm that she was could easily mocked him for his change of heart, laughed at the stupidity of the question let alone about the rumours were to believe after all. Nevertheless, as much as no-nonsense Sabina was, she was also his sister who recognised when her brother was vulnerable, when instead of teasing he needed softer words.  
  
"Ermal...I- I do have my own speculation on that, but really this is something only you can know for sure. It’s your call. _Do_ you like him?”  
  
Did he like him? Did he? He inarguably missed him and that sudden separation sure hurt Ermal. More than just hurt, in fact. The heartbreak, because that's what it exactly was, that heartbreak felt just as real and painful as with any of his ex girlfriends. Not only that but the craving to touch, to be close to him was not the norm to Ermal. He just did not walk around wanting to hold other men’s hands, he didn’t usually miss rough lips and strong arms around him, nevertheless he did enjoy Fabrizio’s. Oh, and he surely did not wish to see Fabrizio being that way around any other people, least of all horny renegades that lusted after the older man. The mere thought of that host and him made his blood boil. And as if it was turning back time, he found himself remembering that same irritation and inner turmoil during a vacation a few years back when that one bartender just wouldn’t stop flirting with Silvia, how quickly brown eyes turned green. He wasn’t supposed to be jealous about people flirting with his friend, he wasn’t supposed to feel any of these things for a friend. Ermal couldn’t even fathom behaving as he did if someone else like Marco or Andrea was concerned, but everything involving Fabrizio was another level, was different and special yet not entirely new. The fact he was a guy was new, but those feelings involved weren’t.  
  
“Oh God, I- I think I- I like him.”  
“That’s what I was thinking too, but I’m glad you came that conclusion on your own.”  
“Oh my _God_ , I like Fabrizio.”  
“That’s very nice but-”  
“Jesus, I really do like him. Me. Liking a _guy_.”  
“Ermal! Goddamnit, why do you call me when you aren’t even listening to me?!”  
He needed that pull back to reality otherwise an endless spiral of awe and wonder and surprise would have awaited him. So he cleared his throat and directed his attention back to his sister.  
  
“Sorry, you were saying?”  
“I was saying, it’s great that you figured that out but the problem remains that you still haven’t talked to him at all. And I’m sure you’d need it now more than ever.”  
  
She was right, they had to sort things out once and for all. Ermal decided it had been enough. He needed to do something immediately so he thanked Sabina and hung up before dialing another number.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bold of yall to assume I would fix their bs right immediately huh
> 
> anways, pls leave a comment thx ily
> 
>  
> 
> PS: have a look at the mongoose vs cobra vid Ermal watched! its cool! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyuIAUlL5IU&t=148s


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ermal is ready to have a conversation with Fabrizio

Ermal was not fond of calling in favours and making special demands when it was not necessary. This was however an extraordinary situation so he might have had to call his manager and ask, no he didn’t beg, if he could be squeezed into the setlist of the approaching music festival in Rome. He certainly wasn’t planned to show up there, and he wouldn’t have even considered it but as the announcement said that a certain someone would be there, he grabbed his chance.  
  
Even over the phone, Ermal could practically hear his manager’s eyebrows raising at the unusual request, but somehow Ermal did not deem it the right time to go into details about his Very Newly Discovered Crush on His Very Manly Colleague and Why they needed talk things through. As much as he dreaded the thought, that surely would probably be a topic to discuss with his management, but not right now.  
  
So a few phone calls and favours later, his name did magically appear on the set list. That’s how he found himself on said day in Rome. Soundcheck went smoothly, he got his songs ready and he even greeted a few colleagues but there was not a trace of Fabrizio. Okay he lived here, it was understandable he'd come later, right? At least that’s what Ermal kept repeating like a chant to smooth his nerves as the hours passed and there was still no Fabri to be seen. Slowly the night began and one singer after the other came on stage until it was finally Ermal’s slot and he went out performing his first three songs. Okay excellent, he’d done what he was booked to do, now he was scavenger hunting backstage for a certain Roman. Nevertheless there was no sign of him. It turned interesting once he asked the staff if they knew anything.  
  
“Fabrizio? But he was just there a moment ago. He was- huh weird. He’s gone now.”  
So at least he had confirmation that he was around.  
At the end, Ermal realised that wrecking his brain was of no use as half an hour later it was time for Fabrizio’s slot anyway, where he'd eventually have to sing Non Mi Aveto Fatto Niente with him. Secretly, Ermal couldn’t wait for it, singing that song together was always something outstanding where they connected in a very special way and after all, it’s been ages since they performed together.  
  
There was Ermal waiting and walking up and down at the left side of the stage, just behind the curtains where the public wouldn’t see him when finally it was time for Fabrizio to perform and indeed, there he entered the stage from the right side, waving and smiling at the audience nothing has happened. And Ermal couldn’t help but gaze at him, feeling his insides twist and turn. God, it felt so good to see him again, see him smile like that, how much he had missed that. And it felt even better to hear him sing live, that raspy but very beloved voice that would leave nobody cold.  
  
First of was Libero and the people roar, then followed by Pensa which has always been popular with the crowd, then Portami Via softly resonating in the arena and then..... Nothing?  
Fabrizio was wrapping up? standing up, saying goodbye to the crowd, picking up his guitar? What?! They...they had to still sing together?! They were supposed to sing together!?  
  
Well, that certainly wouldn't sit well with Ermal. He didn't come half across the country, made ridiculous phone calls and went through approximately seven different extreme emotions in the past few days for literally nothing. No, no, noooo. He rushed backstage for Fabri, he couldn’t be far and he was right! There he was, but when their eyes met for the first time in weeks, Fabrizio froze before just bolting out of the door and gone he was, leaving Ermal speechless and shocked behind.  
  
Fabrizio had... He had just openly avoided him. Rejected any phone call, any message, any chance to see each other, any form of contact. Rejected all of Ermal. And suddenly Ermal could understand it. Suddenly it became so clear how Fabrizio must have felt back in the restaurant. Fabrizio had wanted Ermal to want him back then and ...and Ermal wanted Fabrizio want him.  
  
  
But in contrary to Fabrizio, Ermal was neither a coward nor did he have patience for that bullshit.  
  
  
Without further ado, he stormed to his car and drove straight to Fabrizio’s house, who must have already arrived there. And indeed he saw a light on through the window, so he just started hammering against the door.  
  
"Fabrizio open up!"  
He heard movements from the other side and suddenly the light was switched off which only infuriated Ermal even more.  
"LISTEN CUT THE BULLSHIT I KNOW EXACTLY THAT YOU’RE HOME! OPEN UP OR I WILL STAND HERE ALL NIGHT I’M NOT FUCKING AROUND!" In addition to the knocking he now also started ringing the doorbell. He sure as hell wouldn't move here until that door wasn’t opened.  
"I DONT GIVE A FUCK, I WON’T EVEN SLEEP AND NEITHER WILL YOU. I CAN GO ON FOREVER YOU HEAR ME, FABRIZIO MOBRICI?!"  
  
Suddenly the door swung open and Ermal was swiftly pulled inside.  
"For fucks sake, do you want the neighbours to call the police on you?!" Those were the first words that Fabrizio told him in weeks.  
  
And had Fabrizio’s been engulfed in annoyance mere moments ago, he’s expression turned rather sheepish when he saw Ermal’s grim face. Suddenly very interested in the floor, Fabrizio slowly made his way to the living room, with Ermal following wordlessly behind him until Fabrizio sat down while Ermal chose to remain standing, glaring at him from above. Fabri cleared his throat uneasily.  
  
"So ... You're ...you're here."  
  
"YES I FUCKING AM. And you know why, Fabrizio? You know why? BECAUSE _YOU_ JUST BOLTED ON ME EARLIER. BECAUSE _YOU_ AVOIDED ME AT ALL FUCKING COSTS FOR THE PAST WEEKS!"  
  
Fabrizio visibly flinched at the raised voice but Ermal was way past the point of caring. That had been building up for a long time and his behaviour backstage was just the cherry on top of this big pile of shit.  
  
He couldn’t bare to look at Ermal, so he ran a hand over his face, his voice weak and quite.  
  
"Ermal, I'm ..I'm so s-"  
  
"What are you?! Sorry?? Well, you better be because I felt _terrible_ for all this time! Do you have any idea how fucking hurt I am?! And for what?! For what Fabrizio?! What was it good for?!"  
  
"I WANTED TO GET OVER YOU, OKAY!" Now heavy tears started to pool in his eyes before soft sobs escaped him.  
"I just- I wanted to get, to get those thoughts, those _feelings_ out of my system before I'd see you. It wasn’t enough that I embarrassed myself to death, but I had to get out of my head. But you just kept coming up!" He ran a hand through his hair making it a bigger mess than it already was.  
"Hanging out at a festival together? My heart skipped a beat at the thought alone, I couldn't meet you like this. And drinking wine? Alone with you? God, I couldn't trust my drunk self what I'd say like that. And I tried, Ermal, I tried so hard to get over you, I really did. But, but- it didn't work. As much as I ignored all your messages and calls, you just kept going, you just kept reminding me of why I fell for you in the first place. And it just- and I cannot- I cannot pretend to only be your friend when I don't have these intentions in mind, it's so unfair to you. I- I'm just ruining it, I'm so sorry for avoiding you but I had no idea what to do, I have no idea what to do right now either, fuck, I'm so sorry I fell in love with you."  
  
In the living room, the only sounds that resonated through the air were the sobs of the shaking man on the couch who looked like he’d rather be swallowed by the earth underneath him.  
"You're an idiot"  
"I know I'm so-"  
"No, you're an idiot for apologising your feelings in the first place."  
  
Almost afraid to scare the distraught man Ermal sat down very slowly sat next to Fabrizio and sighed deeply. Damn him, how was he supposed to be pissed at him like this?  
"Fabri.... Please. Please stop crying. I'm not- well, okay, I still am angry, but not that much, alright? Please, just... It's hard to watch you being that sad."  
Ermal gently whipped away his tears with the back of his hand and Fabrizio froze at the contact, now reddened eyes finally dared to meet Ermal's, and while he was still shaking a bit, at least the sobs have stopped. Thank God.  
"There... Isn't that already better?" Ermal had to smile lightly, he wanted Fabrizio to be happy, not this devastated. Never this devastated.  
They kept gazing at each other for a bit while Ermal kept stroking his cheek, effectively calming him down while Fabrizio tentatively leaned into the touch.  
Once the tears dried and Fabrizio composed himself in some form, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes for moment and tried with a steadier voice once more.  
  
"Ermal... I'm sorry I avoided you, I never wanted to give up our friendship all together, of course not. I still want us to be friends but I can't promise you that I will stop being in love with you."  
"I don't want you to promise me anything."  
  
Ermal swallowed and his eyes landed on those swollen lips in front of him, it was easier to look at them than into his eyes.  
"Y'know until the day at the restaurant the thought that you ..and I… that there could be anything at all between us… that it could be a reality..it had never occurred to me. I would have never ever even thought it possible that I'd made you feel this way." The younger man swallowed and a light pink coloured his cheeks.  
"And, I have to admit. It .. it made me ...a bit happy? Excited even? That I - that you- saw me like this. You, out of all people. You who could have anyone."  
"I don't want anyone" Fabrizio interjected and Ermal felt compelled to meet his eyes "I just want you"  
That undoubtful sincerity of these words made Ermals breath hitch but he forced himself to continue.  
"A-and and I thought- no, scratch that, I actually didn't think at all, I just assumed it'll go back to normal in a while. But you just kept ignoring me. Avoiding me. And I missed you so much. Saw you everywhere I went, in everything I did." He heard Fabrizio take a sharp intake of air "And then I saw you flirting with that radio host the other day and God, it stung so much to see you be so carefree and kind towards her when I got zero of that warmth from you.”  
“Wait, I wasn’t flirting with her.”  
“Well, your eyes sure were glued to her chest!” Uncomfortable heat rose again in Ermal at the memory but seeing Fabrizio’s bewildered expression, he knew he had to pick his battles. “Okay, nevermind. My point is, I really want you in my life, more than I realised before. And- and I might like you more than I realised too. A lot more."  
  
Fabrizio eye blew wide in disbelief.  
"Ermal.."  
"Y’know I kept calling those assumptions everyone had about us ridiculous. But maybe... Maybe they weren't ridiculous at all. Maybe they were right from the start and I really am just this dense." He could imagine his sister’s voice wholeheartedly agree with him in that moment, so he simple had to chuckle even if he was close to tears.  
"Bizio....would..would you like to go on a date with me? A proper one, this time?"  
"Ermal..." But instead of answering, Fabrizio grabbed his face and smashed their lips together. He wouldn’t have imagined it, but God, Ermal found himself involuntarily moaned into it. But as quick as their lips met, they parted again.  
"Shit, sorry, I just-"  
"Shut up, and come back here"  
Ermal pulled him back on his shirt and they met for another longer, desperate kiss. Pouring all that pain and longing that built up for so long into this one and all the kisses that followed until it became hard to breath.  
Ermal would have loved to stay longer, would have loved to indulge in more sweet kisses, but alas, he had a train to catch tomorrow morning. Therefore at long last he reluctantly left his new…boyfriend? is that was they were now?  
Nevertheless, he did so with the knowledge that things would not go back to normal, oh no, they would even be better now. This was the beginning of something entirely new and he couldn’t wait for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'ALL I'M BACK!!! thanks for reading so far and as you can see our favourite disaster bi's have figured things out at long last!  
> BUT WAIT!! we aren't done yet...not yet..... i still have one little reward stored for you guys who so bravely endured all this mess so far....
> 
>  
> 
> PS: Live footage of Ermal in front of Fabrizio's house: https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/987/545/bec.gif


	5. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amends are made and Fabrizio finally gets what he wanted in the first place.

**Milan, a week later**  
  
  
  
The first bottle, filled with a dark purple liquid, was undoubtedly one of his favourites fragrances. Had been since that one year Giada bought him a bottle for his birthday. Nothing too strong with a very pleasant violet note.  
The second one, stored in a navy blue bottle, reminded him a bit of the sea. A stronger fragrance that carried a certain almost harsh freshness.  
  
In the end the battle of perfumes was won by his classic Hugo Boss bottle which he applied rather generously (more is always better!) on his neck.  
Although, that's as far as his fanciness went. At the inquiry what they would be doing tonight, Ermal replied, and Fabrizio quoted, 'Don’t worry just put on a t-shirt or whatever'  
  
And so Fabrizio did indeed put on a t-shirt or whatever. Well, 'whatever' specifically being a rather cheesy t-shirt with a cartoon Lupa Capitolina on it that he bought a few years back during a street festival. That paired with a green plaid shirt and some black jeans would do the trick. At least he didn’t look too bad as he was looking at himself in the mirror. Just when he was about to fix (or pretend to fix) his hair, he felt his phone vibrate.  
  
**[Ermal💛]:** _You ready?_  
**[Fabrizio]:** _yeah where are you_  
**[Ermal💛]:** _Downstairs. At the parking lot, to the left from the lobby_  
  
  
Funny how the elevator ride suddenly felt like it’s taking forever even if it only were three floors. And if the receptionist raised an eyebrow at the sight of Fabrizio Moro excitedly hopping through her lobby, then he had chosen to ignore it.  
On the dark parking lot that occupied maybe five-six cars, Fabrizio wondered how where his companion was until his eyes found a figure leaning against the single light post.  
  
"Erm?"  
  
Indeed at the sound of his name, the younger man put the phone in his hand away and turned around and Fabrizio was momentarily rendered speechless.  
  
Ermal looked….cuddly.  
  
Over the course of the past year, Fabrizio was surprised to discover what new adjectives he found himself using to describe Ermal's appearance: handsome, interesting, nice, elegant, eye-catching, beautiful, cute.  
And those were still the mild surprises, let's not start with the downright shock he felt when his brain started providing words like kissable, attractive, sexy and hot during lonelier nights.  
  
But all in all, the word 'cuddly' had never slipped over his tongue. And yet that's exactly what Ermal was right now. With the upper part of his mane tied back, that wonderful face of his came into view and _oh_ , so did those nice stubbles gracing his cheeks & chin. His pale arms and the plain white t-shirt contrasted the bordeaux zip-hoodie quite well. Add a pair of simple skinny jeans and sneakers and you got yourself a very different kind of Ermal.  
No trace of Dolce&Gabbana or what not that the esteemed singer usually wore on stage and TV. Instead he looked so very homey, so very private and something about the fact that Ermal would allow him to see him so casual made Fabrizio feel more comfortable too. He should look this cuddly more often, Fabrizio found it very lovely.  
And God, he looked even lovelier when he gave Fabrizio a bright smile, although that tiny hint of shyness hiding in the corner of his mouth didn’t go unnoticed.  
  
“Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
“....”  
“....”  
  
Something in the back of Fabrizio’s mind told him they were supposed to actually talk to one another, use words and not, y’know, just keep grinning at each other as if they would develop telepathic abilities somehow. He cleared his throat.  
“So where are we going?” the older man asked which motivated Ermal to finally get moving, Fabrizio following suite.  
“You’ll see.”  
“Mysterious much?”  
“Stop trying to coax me into ruining the surprise, that ain’t happening!” The younger man playfully shoved Fabrizio who huffed a laugh and continued his musing.  
“Are we not gonna drive to… wherever you’re taking me?”  
“It’s not that far and God knows men your age need the exercise anyway.”  
Fabrizio threw his head back, his rich laugh echoing in the empty alley. Oh that little shit. Not even here and now he could hold back with his banter.  
“If that’s Ermal Meta’s full romantic potential I’m experiencing right now, then I sure as hell don’t wanna be your enemy.”  
“Hey, I can be- I mean, I am- right now, that’s not my full- what does that even-”  
“You’re cute when you’re flustered.”  
But Ermal simply shook his head while Fabrizio snickered and they continued their walk until Ermal stopped in his tracks right in front of an establishment whose door was covered in various wild colourful stickers.  
“Ever had Pakistani food?”  
“Not that I can remember.”  
“Time to change that then.”  
  
What followed behind the colourful door was a small chaos. Literally. People constantly coming and going, with buzzing voices chatting in every corner. They made their way half through the rather crowded establishment, got greeted by a waiter who rushed past them, before they finally spotted a couple leaving, liberating two chairs for them.  
Once seated, they exhaled but next to the jug of water already set on the table, Fabrizio’s curious eyes soon found something missing.  
  
“Where’s the menu?”  
“Okay so, the thing is, there’s no menu because it’s basically a buffet. Just grab a plate and put whatever and how much you want on it.”  
  
Ermal pointed over Fabrizio’s shoulder and when the other man followed the direction he did spot a huge table, with people circling it like a swarm of bees circling a bed of flowers. They made their way to the buffet and oh, warmth and the delicious smell of different dishes hit the Roman. Were they all of different colours and smells, Fabrizio just decided to give everything a go and so his first plate was quite filled with various things when he sat back to their table. Being the picky eater that Ermal was he took his sweet time to chose, while Fabrizio did not want to necessarily start without him.  
So instead of just longingly staring at his food, the older man used the time to observe his environment. Instead of paper, the walls were decorated by various different posters and snippets. Some announcing alternative music festivals and underground clubs, others promoting feminist book evenings and other kinds of activism. But while the red posters calling for the ‘Power to the working class’ stood out, there were not the only colourful ornament. Not a few rainbow stickers and variation of such flags caught Fabrizio’s eye as well and if he saw correctly, there were even several rather cheeky caricatures of a few certain politicians slapped to the walls. He chuckled.  
This whole place felt very alive, vibrating with energy, reactionary and unapologetically provocative. Fabrizio reckoned his younger self would have fit right in here, and perhaps even his older self was still falling for its’ charm.  
  
“Pretty eye-catching isn’t it?” Ermal said as he caught his companion admiring the restaurant.  
“There are so many flyers in different languages, like that one over there. Is that Russian?”  
Fabrizio nodded towards a poster with a book drawn on it while taking the first bite of his chicken curry. Oh, my. That was delicious if not a bit spicy.  
  
“I guess so? It looks like their alphabet.”  
“So you can’t read it?”  
Ermal frowned curiously at his counterpart and put his head sideways.  
“Why would I be able to read it?”  
Good question, why would he? Suddenly feeling very foolish, Fabrizio scratched the back of his neck.  
“I..don’t know? You know so many languages, I just assume you’re smart like this.”  
“Oh.” Ermal blinked, a soft smile dancing on that flushed face of his. “No, sorry I- no, I don’t speak any Russian. But hey, you see that poster over there? You know what that language it is or what is says?”  
  
Fabrizio eyes landed on the dark red poster to their right on whose surface thick black letters spelled:  
  
_‘Festivali i Filmit Shqiptar: 3 qershor - 10 qershor’_  
  
“I guess something to do with film? A film festival of some sorts?”  
“Yeees, but what sort in particular?” Ermal seemed very eager for that answer, so Fabrizio endulged him.  
  
Languages were not his forte, those belonged to Ermal, but Fabrizio ran through his options. It surely wasn’t French or Spanish, that he would at least recognise. German looked different too; they had those dots over their U’s and those curly B’s which allegedly weren’t B’s at all. Swedish? Danish? No. He’s been to Ikea often enough to know that his wardrobe wouldn’t be called _Qershor._ And Russian had different letters but maybe it was something similar to Russian?  
  
“Is it like..Serbian? Croatian? Or something?” He mumbled while putting a piece of eggplant in his mouth but quickly realised the answer when Ermal almost spit out his water from laughing.  
  
“No, definitely not. I can guarantee you, it’s very much not Serbian or Croatian 'or something'.” Ermal chuckled with a bright smile, obviously enjoying their little guessing game. “But you’re close. In a way.”  
  
He’s close? Hmm… He looked again at the words... Shqiptar..that sounds familiar, he has heard that before but where? where? And Ermal’s teasing grinning didn’t help him much either. And how can that be close to Croa-

“Oh!” It suddenly hit him and Fabrizio had to chuckle himself at how obvious it was “Albanian. It’s an Albanian Film Festival!”  
“We have a winner!”  
“And what’s qershor?”  
“That means June”  
“Look at all these new words I learned tonight.”  
“Feeling almost fluent, huh?”  
“Maybe I should get a tutor.” Fabrizio said. This evening was different than last time, this time he knew for a fact how Ermal felt, this time he knew he was allowed to do that, so why not be bold for once?  
“Would you know someone who could teach me?” He playfully asked Ermal who suddenly seemed very heated if the flush on his face is any indication.  
“I- uhm, that- Well, depends on what kind of student you are.”  
“I can be anything the teacher wants me to be. A good student, a naughty student, whatever floats his boat...” He asked sultrily before winking at the man across of him whose higher brain functions seemed to have ceased at once and just gaped at him like a fish.  
  
Okay, maybe it had been too early to be bold.  
  
Just when Fabrizio was about to apologise and take back all that crap he just said, Ermal found his voice again.  
“Ju bëftë mirë”  
“What?”  
“Buon appetito.” The curly haired man timely took a sip of his water but still kept a very intrigued eye contact with Fabrizio. “Let’s start with something simple at first. We can get in depth more later on.” And he winked right back at him which relieved Fabrizio greatly. At least Ermal was only recovering from the initial shock from being openly flirted with. Fabrizio would have hated to have crossed a line right on their first (second?) date. But as they were doing fine like that, they just continued to eat.  
  
Now Fabrizio was a man of various tastes when it came to music, of no taste when it came to fashion and truth be told, of traditional taste when it came to cuisine.  
As much as the world’s delicacies were easily attainable these days, he generally preferred the likes of Italian food. Adventurous he’d call their dive into the South Asian cuisine but nevertheless he found himself quite enjoying it. After all, he recognised good home cooking when he saw it.  
So it was not surprising, that after the first plate, they went for a second delicious round which was quickly disappearing from their plates as well leaving Fabrizio now full, but thirsty. And just as if he could read his mind, Ermal stood up to get them a new jug of water, but returned with a small plate of rice pudding as well.  
  
One plate, and two spoons. Oh. Okay. Nice.  
  
With the rice pudding between them, they may had to huddle up a bit to one another as they shared their dessert. Soon their conversation lead to various topics until it ended up being about Fabrizio’s newly released album and the instore tour for which he came to Milan.  
  
“I was honestly so relieved when the first reactions came in and they were positive.”  
Fabrizio mumbled with the spoon between his lips. Hmm, was that mango?  
“Why were you relieved? Didn’t you say you were satisfied with the album while recording?”  
“Yes, but that was only my own opinion, alright? Just ‘cause I liked it, doesn’t mean the broad public would.” He poked the orange mass in front of him as if it would help him muse things over “The competition is huge and I’m not alone on the market. Especially in today’s music industry where anyone can be on top with anything, my success isn’t guaranteed.”  
  
He felt it again, that self-doubt pulling him into that endless sea of anxiety, drowning him in worry until everything was black around him. Or it would have, had Ermal’s gentle voice not spoken up again.  
****  
“Yes, but you…” Under the table, Fabrizio’s hand felt foreign fingers tracing over it as softly as the touch of a feather, until they intertwined with is own fingers. “...aren’t anyone. You’re Fabrizio Moro, a goddamn Sanremo winner. You’ve proven over and over what musical genius you are. And your success _is_ guaranteed because nobody else could have written Pensa. Nobody else could have filled the Olimpico, nobody else could have won Sanremo with me because….Nobody else is you.” The hand holding him squeezed lightly and Fabrizio squeezed right back because sometimes, even the most talented songwriters are rendered speechless.  
  
“Now stop giving me that thrown and smile a bit instead. Here, open up.” And promptly Ermal’s spoon was flying in front his face in a silent invitation which Fabrizio after a second of surprise gladly took. And if Fabrizio’s heart skipped a beat there because of the lovely gesture alone or because of how Ermal bit his lip in a smile, he wasn’t sure, but he realised it didn’t matter, because his silly old heart did it again when they kept holding hands as they got up. And kept holding them as Ermal payed for them, and kept holding them when they were waltzing through the dark streets.  
  
And as they kept on walking passing by a park, Ermal suddenly stopped in his tracks. Fabrizio followed Ermal’s gaze which landed on a little playground for kids.  
“Hey wanna go on the swings for a bit?”  
“You do realise I’m not Anita, right?”  
But Ermal simply huffed a laugh and at long last unglued himself from Fabrizio, approaching the vacant playground.  
“C’mon Bizio, who’s gonna see you now? The stray cats?”  
  
Fabrizio blinked at that oversized man who had taken a seat on the small swing. He saw him in all his weirdness, but strangely enough, Fabrizio just kept falling for him more and more. And perhaps Ermal did have a point. It was late and it’s not like someone would pass by.  
  
_’Aw, fuck it, who cares?’_  
  
That’s how Fabrizio joined Ermal on the swing next to him and promptly challenged him on who could swing higher. If they were already being childish, they would be go all the way, dammit. After long minutes of putting the maximum effort into their swinging abilities, they had to slow down when Ermal almost flew out of the swing at the highest point.  
  
“I won.”  
“You almost landed on your ass.”  
“I still won.”  
“Just because you don’t have heavy muscles like me, they bring me down.”  
“Who cares, I still won!”  
They both were rolling from laughing, leaning against the chain of the swing gazing at Ermal, Fabrizio wondered when the last time was he had laughed so hard.  
“Perfect way to end the evening.”  
His counterpart turned towards him with an amused smile and as if he could sense that Ermal was about to say something stupidly, wonderfully witty, Fabrizio continued.  
"No, but seriously, today was- everything, it was just perfect."  
The playful expression on the younger man’s face changed to a more sober one, a bit more serious, yet with a small flush on his cheeks.  
"I hope so. Y’know, this all is still kind of new to me. I mean, I know how it goes, I’m not inexperienced. But it’s still sort of new with you being- and-and me being- and y’know--”  
“I know.” Fabrizio assured him. He understood where he was coming from, because he had been there himself. But in contrary to Ermal, Fabrizio had been aware of his not so platonic feelings for a certain guy for almost a year now and therefore had time to process it. The reassurance he gave the younger man even managed to tickle a little smile out of him.  
“I was just trying to give you the best date that I could."  
At those words, the Roman frowned however.  
"Wait, this was a _date?!"_  
A crushing silence set in and unfortunately Fabrizio could only enjoy three full seconds of Ermal's face in mortifying incomprehension before the older man couldn't help himself anymore and bursted out laughing.  
  
"Stop laughing, dammit! This was not funny, this was- ugh!”  
  
Drama Queen Supreme that he was, Ermal jumped off the swing and marched towards the slide, not dignifying Fabrizio with his presence anymore. And so a very offended 38 year old ended up laying down on the slide with his arms crossed yelling back to the still laughing man on the swing. “You really confused the shit out of me for a moment there!"  
Now Fabrizio left the swing, approaching the slide until he stood above the other and despite the fact that he still looked sour, Fabrizio couldn’t help but giggle.  
  
"Aww, poor you. If only I could know how that must feel like."  
  
The grumpy face below him softened significantly, so Fabrizio stretched his arms out and Ermal gladly took them before being pulled up on his feet again. One hand he let got, but the other he held on tightly as they continued their walk.  
  
And when they slowly reached the parking lot where they met earlier tonight, Fabrizio didn’t feel like separating. He leaned against the wall of the hotel, the entrance just around the corner but God, he’d rather stay outside if it meant he could gaze at that handsome face in front of him. In fact, that handsome face was way too far away in Fabrizio’s opinion, so he pulled lightly on Ermals shirt, bringing him closer until they were inches apart. Ermal leaned with one arm against the wall, as they kept grinning at each other like some lovestruck teenagers they apparently turned back to.  
“Hey.”  
“Hi.”  
  
They giggled as they finally closed the gap between them going for a slow and deep kiss. And oh how different that kiss was from their first one back in Rome. When it was hectic and desperate at first, this kiss was full of love, carefree and it was fast becoming rather sensual too when Ermal kept pressing him against the wall and Fabrizio’s hands started wandering under his shirt. When then a certain someone’s lips started nipping on his new neck tattoo, Fabrizio had to gently push him away because his brain was dangerously close to short circuit any moment now.  
  
"Erm, I- I have an instore tomorrow, I better be well rested."  
  
His counterpart just huffed and raised an eyebrow.  
"So were you planning on staying up all night, huh?"  
  
Oh he hated him, he really did. He especially hated the way Ermal wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and he hated even more how he felt his own throat going dry.  
  
"I....didn't say that"  
"No, you didn't say that. You were thinking it."  
  
God, he really was the absolute worst. He could barely handle Ermal as he was, but him actually flirting with Fabrizio was an entirely other level altogether. He decided to do the public a service by preventing Ermal from saying more of all that ludicrous (but not incorrect) bullshit by throwing his arms around his neck and sealing their lips once more. What a good idea that was, Fabrizio realised, because he noticed how with stubbles Ermal’s kisses felt intriguingly rough against his skin. He should tell him to wear them more often, but that can wait. Now he was too busy flipping them around and pressing Ermal against the wall, burying his hands into his hair and effectively ruining the tied up locks. But then they had to break apart when he felt Ermal chuckling.  
  
"Love how you immediately forget about a good night's sleep once you have a tongue in your mouth."  
"Fuck off.”  
  
They bantered and teased but nevertheless a silent understanding hung between them they both understood; it wasn't the right moment for this kind of intimacy. Neither of them was fully ready to go all the way yet but it was okay. They had time, and most importantly, each other.  
  
So the kisses stopped but they still held one another silently enjoying the evening, each other’s company but Fabrizio couldn’t help but look forward for a next time and so did Ermal as it seemed.  
  
“Where are you next week?”  
“In the south on instore tour, I’m afraid.”  
“And this Saturday? I’d be in Rome.”  
“Then I have an instore in Naples but I could hop on a train to meet you later on.”  
“No, don’t be ridiculous, you’ll be dead tired afterwards. I’ll meet you in Naples instead.”  
Fabrizio nodded gratefully, at least Ermal understood how tiresome instores tended to be. Whatever they had at the moment was complicated enough to arrange with the busy schedules they had, not to mention with the media breathing down their necks more than any normal couple would ever know, but a small consolation was that Ermal was well familiar with all the aspects that a life of a celebrity brought along.  
  
Reluctantly he slowly untangled himself from Ermal yet held his hands, mindlessly tracing the other’s fingers.  
“So...See you on Saturday, I guess.”  
“Can’t wait for it.” Ermal squeezed his hand.  
“Me neither.” Fabrizio leaned forward and gave him a final peck on the lips before finally turning around to leave. But when he was just about to turn at the corner, he heard Ermal shout out behind him.  
“And Bizio…”  
The older man threw a glance over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow.  
"Now actually do go to sleep and don't just stay up watching Prison Break until 3am again or I'll cancel your Netflix subscription."  
"Wh- you can't even do that!"  
"I bet on everything I have that your password is _'liberoanita1'_ so yes, I actually can."  
Groaning, Fabrizio rolled his eyes but not without a smile.  
“Goodnight, Ermal!” were his final words before ultimately going back to the hotel, musing about how he needed to change his password now, what he had gotten himself into with this man and how bizarre their story was and if it might continue that way.  
  
  
After all, couples usually confess their feelings, go to their first date, kiss and in the end get into relationships. And not go to the _first_ first date, fall out, then actually confess their feelings, kiss, get into a relationship and then end up going to their _second_ first date.  
  
But luckily, they are a rather unusual kind of couple.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT IS DONE, LADS. AT LONG LAST. 
> 
> Wow, I can't believe it turned this little idea I had months ago into a full story but here we are! And considering the amount of angst both, the readership and our favourite guys went through in this story, I felt it was right and just to give everyone a little sweet reward at the end.  
> Thanks to everyone who's read and commented, I hope you liked this ride as much as I did <3  
>  
> 
> follow me on tumblr: http://bunny-banana.tumblr.com
> 
> PS: the restaurant the guys went to is loosely based on a place called 'Deewan' in Vienna! So if you're ever in the city, check it out!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! here's a little story for you about Ermal being ....the oblivious fool that we love so much!  
> Follow me on tumblr: http://bunny-banana.tumblr.com
> 
>  
> 
> Inspired by this post: https://birdthany.tumblr.com/post/177889536646/birdthany-its-really-easy-to-think-everyone-in


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